Martyr's Moon by J.E.Lowder

First published on Blog Critics as Book Review: 'Martyr's Moon' by J.E.Lowder.

In an ever dangerous struggle Romlin and Elabea continue their journey of hope. In Martyr’s Moon by J.E. Lowder, we continue the tumultuous saga that began with the Tears of Min Brock. What began as an amazing hope for these two young friends has been slowly chipped away, as well as their belief of a better world. On the run from danger without sign of hope, they have begun to lose their dream.

Only the foolish believe there is truly one true King of Claire. Yet in the beginning when they received the parchment requesting their presence, the hope and belief sustained them. Leaving their own home, and the very little safety it afforded, they have now found themselves under attack both physically and mentally by the Cauldron and its denizens. Even Elabea has begun to doubt that her true heritage is that of a storyteller, one of those foretold in the beginning.  

The Cauldron uses the whisper to erode her confidence and chip away at her fragile self-esteem.  How could she have been so foolish, the whispers remind her of who she is and where she came from. Stepping over the cliff would certainly free her from this self-pity and doubt, but the other whisper continues to push the false one away.  Even now Romlin is worried that she will break and all hope will be lost, but there is more to Elabea then meets the eye.

Suddenly she has overthrown the false whisperer just as they are on their last hope. The storytelling begins again, moving them further into the unknown, with challenges they can only imagine. Will they truly be able to help rebuild Claire, and save them all from the evil power of the Cauldron?

Lowder has given us an amazing array of characters both good and bad. The protagonists are true believers, yet doubt still clouds their minds. They are easy prey for the Evil that destroyed Claire in the beginning. Lowder has gilded them with both strength and flaws, creating a realism that is difficult to deny. His world is dark and deadly, yet holds a sprinkling of hope and light, that is beginning to thrust its ways into being.

If you are a fan of magic and hope, as well as fierce, epic battles between good and evil, you will love this work.  Each character sets the stage for a different appearance and entrance into the plot. The whisper creates drama and delight, but also doom and despair. The mirroring by the offender keeps you off kilter, unaware of which whisper to follow.

This would be a great work for the young adult, or anyone who enjoys adventure and danger. I look forward to following this series to its finale; I am intrigued by the premise.

Rating 4/5

This book was received as a free download from the author. All opinions are my own based off my reading and understanding of the material.

Clementine's Shadow by Peggy Rothschild

Posted first to Blog Critics as Book Review:'Clementine's Shadow' by Peggy Rothschild

Small towns are often a draw for families, a place of safety for their children to grow up.  The closeness offers the ability for their family to grow up in the safety of friends.  Danger lurks in unexpected places, and small towns are not exempt.  The danger the perceived safety imposes offers those who prey on others an opportunity often unavailable where the parent has less trust.

In Clementine’s Shadow by Peggy Rothschild, we follow the life of one father brought to his knees by the disappearance of his own child. Winston has been a mess his whole life and feels the only thing he has ever excelled at is being a father. While his ex-wife uses his little girl Tiny to get what she wants from him, he has always felt that she still had Tiny’s best interests at heart. So when she sends her off on her own during a concert to find him, he is infuriated. That quickly changes to fear as she cannot be located.

Casey is on the case with the police from the beginning. She is still having issues from a past she is trying to escape, but she knows she must put aside her own challenges to find a missing child. Jane too is drawn into the fray when she hears about the kidnapping.  A teenager, Jane has an anger problem; she carries a secret that draws her into the search for a little girl that has somehow drawn the eye of evil.

When Casey digs deeper into the morass of evidence and the possible suspects, she is surprised to find that this is not the first crime of this kind. Yet why is the other kidnapping not on the books. Why does no one know about a previous crime?  Something is wrong, but who does she trust.
As Casey, Winston, and Jane are drawn into the desert in the search of a killer, danger rears its ugly head. Casey must find a way to make sense of what is happening and keep the others safe. They have no business in this dangerous investigation. Can she do her job, without risking the child or the others, as the one responsible calls all the shots.

Rothschild had given us a thriller with heart. The anger and fear hides the truth of the heart in her characters. The prickly surface hides a maelstrom of emotion only hinted at through the actions that guide them. You will find yourself their cheering section as they allow their emotions and actions to lead them into danger in an effort to strengthen their own psyche. The rescue of the little girl will either make them or break them.  There is sadness, horror and humor threaded through the action, and the ending will keep you guessing.

If you enjoy mysteries you will fill your needs with this novel. It is clever and interesting, with a dangerous off kilter ending. This would be a great book for your library; Peggy Rothschild is an author to watch for.

Rating 4/5

This book was received from the authors publicist. All opinions are my own based off my reading and understanding of the material.

Poison Makers by Jimmy Olsen

Posted first on Blog Critics as Book Review:'Poison Makers' by Jimmy Olsen.

In Poison Makers by Jimmy Olsen, we are taken into the machinations of an old belief system of voodoo and zombies that still exists in regions of the Dominican Republic today.

When Adam Quist, U.S ambassador to the Dominican Republic dies, there seems very little mystery. Yet Edgar Espinosa-Joes (E J) is given the assignment to interview his daughter. She seems to believe there is more involved, more at stake then known.  E J occasionally does odd investigations for his mentor Garrett Yancy.  Yet this investigation is somewhat out of the ordinary.

As EJ has a clandestine interview with Quist’s daughter, he is left with more questions than answers. She believes her father has been murdered–or even worse, turned into a zombie.  E J isn’t laughing though, he is from the Dominican Republic and has seen the violence and ceremonies involved with the ages old voodoo movement. 

When the grave is exhumed and the body found missing, E J begins to fear the worst. With the help of his best friend, a crooked Dominican cop, he begins the long and dangerous trek of discovery. The menace becomes personal as he and his friend are poisoned, and then his family is interjected into the danger.  The drums are beating, drawing him further into peril and madness.  He becomes the victim and is pursued as he tries to find the answers.  His family carries on with their own antics, while he slips through the clutches of his adversaries, only to find even deeper mysteries.

Can he get to the bottom of this strange and sinister disappearance? Can he keep the Ambassador’s daughter safe as he untangles and age old web of deceit before his own life is forfeit?

Olsen takes you into the heart of a culture that is very different from our own, and yet alike in many ways. There is a hunger and need that many never have to experience that shape the thoughts and beliefs of the people.  The descriptions of the events are chilling yet Olsen interjects a bit of the ridiculous which also occasionally draws a chuckle.

His characters are rich in both bravado and flaws, but real to the point of conviction. The humor seems like it would be out of place, and yet it adds character and believability to a strange incredulous investigation.

If you enjoy murder mysteries, and are interested in voodoo cultures and zombies you will find yourself immersed and charmed in the chapters in this novel.  It would be great reading for a book club, with a varying set of situations to draw from.

Rating 4/5

This book was received free from the author. All opinions are my own based off my reading and understanding of the information.

Posted first on Blog Critics as Book Review: 'Omens; A Cainsville Novel' by Kelley Armstrong.

Author Kelly Armstrong has done it again with a new series set in a small creepy town of Cainsville.  In Omens, she has moved to another fascinating tale of paranormal circumstance, and riddled it with feeling and eerie happenstance.

Her heroine, 24 year old Olivia Taylor-Jones has led a fairy tale life. Being the only daughter of a well to do family, she has received an exceptional education, and she has learned how to help those in need. Having never been there herself, she is full kindness and concern.  Engaged to be married to a CEO with political ambitions she is on top of the world.  Always a daddy’s girl, her life begins a strange exodus when he dies. Suddenly she finds out she has been adopted, and everything she believes of her life is wrong.

Her real parents are notorious killers, both having received life sentences for murder and she is suddenly no longer the woman she was.   As her life begins unraveling around her, she does her best to hide.  She has become an instant celebrity, one that does not fit in the mold of the life she had planned. Everywhere she turns she is recognized, and her inability to disappear just keeps the rumors more vicious and profound. Even her (adoptive) mother has distanced herself.

Several incidents occur that lead her to the small town of Cainsville. Here she can hide from the sudden notoriety.  Yet the town itself ads a sinister cast to the unfolding drama. When her real mother’s attorney seeks her out, she is immediately distrustful. She finds herself drawing on strange abilities, as she tries to come to terms with her past. An eventful meeting with her real mother entangles her in an investigation into the killings that happened so long ago. Were they really guilty, or were they just an easy answer to a series of macabre murders?

Armstrong has given us a strong protagonist, and filled her with darkness and faded memories of her past. Worried that she carries the genes of convicted killers, she is unsure of her footing. Yet she knows in her heart she is good. The people in the town of Cainsville are kind and very involved, very much busybodies. They love to dabble in everyone’s business.  Yet there is something strange going on, and she is blocked at almost every turn as she tries to find out what happened to turn her birth parents into stone cold killers.

If you enjoy strange and spooky happenings, and great mystery with a paranormal twist, you will enjoy Omens. Once I picked up the novel, I found I could not put it down.  Armstrong has the ability to make the unbelievable real, and you find yourself uneasy with the feeling.

This would be a marvelous book for a reading group, full of interesting topics for discussion. Armstrong sets the tone for a tale that reels you in and has you looking for more.  .

Rating 5/5

This book was received from the authors publicist. All opinions are my own based off my reading and understanding of the material.

Adopted Son by Dominic Peloso

Posted first on Blog critis as Book Review: 'Adopted Son' by Dominic Peloso

Rumors of aliens abound in most nations around the world. Is it possible for another race to exist among the stars, and if so have they really made themselves known to a select few.  With the advanced technology needed to keep them hidden and allow them space travel, have they really crashed on the surface, only to be hidden away from the civilian life?

In Adopted Son by Dominic Peloso, we are taken into a new future that is both concerning and disconcerting. When birth anomalies begin cropping up in the form of mutated babies, there is initially not too much concern outside the families.  The children are normal in most ways, yet their heads are larger, and their eyes are somewhat eerie, large and black located on the sides of their facial structure. Their body, too, is just a bit different, tall and thin, almost unable to hold the head that seems unnaturally large.

In the beginning the parents of these mutated babies are concerned, but as with all families, they accept the hand they have been dealt. They grow to love them, and hold the hope of a bright future. Yet as the mutations continue, and considerably more deformed babies are born, churches are finding themselves the recipient of many orphans.  As the problem grows, alienation is only a step away.

Can aliens from space be the cause of all this turmoil? These children and now adults are very similar to the pictures shared from Area 51 and Roswell sightings. The mutations are now more normal than not, and most families are no longer planning children. As war comes ever closer, a message from outer space comes over loud and clear.  The planet seems to be invaded from the inside.

Can this new group of Americans, which many feel a part of, prove they are part of this planet, or will the rogue aliens that demand war find a way to annihilate the human way of life?

If you enjoy science fiction you will find this very interesting. I am not sure how I felt; the story was certainly unique, yet all together very creepy. However, thorough it all, a thread of hope and peace levels the threat.  This is a new take on nurture vs. nature, with the alternative being the very destruction of the human gene.

This would be an interesting work for a reading group. The pros and cons of learning to trust a potential alien race would keep the conversation quite lively.

Rating 3/5

This book was received free from the authors publicist. All opinions are my own based on my reading and understanding of the material.

 

Line Up by Liad Shoham

Posted First on Blog Critics as Book Review: 'Line Up' by Liad Shoham

 

Crime is universal, and the subterfuge used to hide from the consequences of ones actions remains purposeful and often unique. Once in a while, well-meaning families looking for ways to rebuild their own sense of safety can obscure the actual villain.

In Line Up by Liad Shoham, we are taken into the streets of Tel Aviv where a brutal rape has occurred.  The detective in Charge, Eli Nahum, is ready to move forward, hoping to wrap up a case that could prove to be very high profile. When the father of the victim brings him a suspect, he feels as though the case will move forward with ease.  

Ziv Nevo seems to be the most likely suspect. He is near the scene and refuses to give a reason. Yet he knows he is not the rapist. He works for a notorious crime boss, and is now himself in danger, as he struggles to find a way to convince his boss he will not give him up for his own freedom.

When the rush to judgment causes the case to be thrown out, Eli Nahum loses his job, and Ziv is now on the run for his life. Released from jail he must take his family and hide. When another rape occurs, the police are eager to find him. Knowing he escaped judgment for his first crime, they are eager to make him pay for this second brutal rape.

Hiding from both the Mafia and the police with nowhere to turn, Ziv realizes his only choice is to find Eli Nahum and convince him of his innocence. He must do this without giving up the real reason for his presence in the area where the rape occurred. Can he get Nahum, by all accounts to be a great detective, to believe him? Will he be able to stay ahead of the mob connections as he tries to prove his innocence and save his family?

Shoham takes us into the heart of Tel Aviv with descriptions of locales and events that take you there. While the crime is brutal, he gives us the long reaching effect that can occur when things go wrong in an investigation.  The lives of the victims family has changed, the hopes and dreams of a police detective are crushed and a man finds his family in danger. To juggle all this and tell a fascinating story, with an outcome that seems unexpected, Liad Shoham has shown a great insight into the fallout of a crime that ensnares more than just the usual suspects.

IF you enjoy mysteries and danger this is a great book for your library. A strong choice for a reading group, they will find a great deal of information for discussion. The description of a county we often only read about takes you there, giving you a view of a place often shrouded in mystery.  This only adds to the interest and allure of the novel.

Rating 3/5

This book was received free from the publisher. All opinions are my own based off my reading and understanding of the material.

Tenderloin: Abby Kane Adventure #2 by Ty Hutchinson

Posted first on Blog Critics as Book Review: Tenderloin: Abby Kane Thriller #2 by Ty Hutchinson

If you are looking for a gutsy female, a woman who is tough and gritty yet has the mothering instinct second to none, Abby Kane will reel you in.  In Tenderloin by Ty Hutchinson, an Abby Kane Thriller, his protagonist is back, but in a situation that pulls her totally out of her element.

When a DEA agent ends up dead in Bogota Columbia, FBI Agent Abby Kane is sent there to dig into the strange circumstances. Leaving her young family, she is torn.  Balancing the work, life balance is difficult enough, yet when you are in a job where every day is a life or death battle, she has to make considerations beyond that of many. She is not always the master of her decisions and when the order comes through, she does what she has to.

In Bogota she searches for answers to the terrifying deaths that are taking place. She is working with a tough group of men she doesn’t know, and yet has to trust with her life. When she uncovers a lab in the jungle where it appears some strange experiments have taken place, she begins to believe that one of the local drug cartels is involved. Crossing paths with one of the scientists, she must do everything in her power to keep him alive until they get to the bottom of the killings.

The locals don’t understand the nature of the killings, but they know there is only one man who can be behind them. He is known as The Monster.

Can Abby track down the killer before a more sinister use of this new drug changes the shape of the drug industry in ways unimagined.  How does she keep her family safe, when she does not understand the rules or the people she has been working with.

Abby is a strong and feisty woman, yet her family is her strength. They are everything she has, and she must maintain the balance necessary for them to keep their familial relationship. This is very difficult with her chosen profession, yet with the help of her mother-in-law, she preservers. Yet even that causes friction which often intrudes in her work activities. 

Abby is also sometimes a little too gullible for an agent, and yet she overcomes that trait when the going gets tough. If you enjoy action and suspense, buried in mysterious circumstances you will enjoy this work.  Hutchinson has given us a character that is likable and tough, yet has the flaws and insecurities of many working mothers. This is a fun and intriguing work, one that would be a great find for your reading enjoyment.

Rating 3/5

This book was received free from the Author, all opinions are my own based off my reading and understanding of the material.